Aurelion, Lyra, Kael, and Elara had gotten their trays before most of the children had even lined up and had settled at their usual corner table. As Aurelion mechanically spooned the tasteless food, his golden eyes scanned the hall. He checked the areas Linnea usually frequented. She wasn't around yet. Perfect. With a faint expression on his face, he turned to his friends.
"I'm going to show you a little trick," he whispered. He stood up and said, "I'll be right back," leaving the table.
The other three stared after him. Aurelion slowly made his way towards the crowded food line. His eyes found Nazgûl, who had just was trying to get his tray.
Aurelion blended into the crowd, moving behind his target. Just then, a blond northerner boy, about five or six years old, even shorter than Aurelion, trying to balance his tray, ended up behind Nazgûl.
Aurelion, with his unbandaged left hand, quickly jabbed the small child in the back, right between his shoulder blades. The child lost his balance, stumbled forward with a scream, and collided directly with Nazgûl in front of him.
Nazgûl, already unsteady, injured, and distracted, staggered from the sudden impact. The tray in his hands flew in an arc, gray porridge and watery drink splattering everywhere.
Nazgûl and the small child tumbled to the ground with a loud crash, entangled with each other. Nazgûl cried out in an angry grunt from the pain.
The little boy, not understanding what had happened, started crying under the sticky porridge spilled on him and Nazgûl's large body.
As for Aurelion, the moment he'd delivered the push, he had slipped back into the crowd, glided a few rows back, and then quickly returned to his own table as if he knew nothing about it. A cold smile, a smirk of amusement as he watched the events, played on the corners of his lips.
Nearby caregivers rushed towards the sounds. Nazgûl groaned in pain, while the pushed child tried to figure out what had hit him in bewilderment.
Just then, Grok and his northerner friends also arrived at the commotion. Seeing his brother lying on the ground in pain, covered in food, Grok's face contorted with rage.
Grok looked around furiously. His eyes fell on Aurelion, who was sitting calmly at his table, pretending to be occupied with his food but not hiding the faint smile on his face.
Just then, Lyra's voice was heard "Hey Grok! What happened? Did your brother start wipe the floors? There's still some dirt over there, have him take care of that too!"
Grok looked at the fox girl with anger but restrained himself and looked at Nazgûl. One of the caregivers took Nazgûl and the other child by the arms and started leading them away.
Grok shot a final angry glare at Aurelion and the smirking group and followed his brother.
Aurelion and his group finished their meals faster than the others. When they got up from the table, they deliberately walked past the table where Grok and his Northerner friends were sitting. Grok and his crew tensed up immediately upon seeing them, stopping their conversation.
As Lyra passed by them, she sighed with feigned admiration. "I've never had such a wonderful breakfast in my life, have I, Kael?"
Kael slowly smirked, looking directly at Grok. "You're right. After all, we can't always find a stupid orc who throws himself on the ground to put on a special show for us every day."
Grok couldn't take it anymore. He shot up from his seat. "What did you say?!"
His Northern friends also quickly stood up, gathering tensely behind him.
Aurelion stopped. He was in front of his group. Calm. That slight, disdainful smirk was back on his face. He looked at the angry group that had stood up. "What's this?" he said in a mocking tone. "Or..." he paused "...are there more volunteers who want to wipe the ground?"
Grok took a step towards Aurelion with an angry roar, but one of the Northerners beside him grabbed him by the arm. "Stop, Grok! Not here! The caregivers are watching! Don't get us into trouble!" he whispered anxiously.
Aurelion saw Grok's brief, forced hesitation and his friend's intervention. This was exactly the sign of weakness he had been waiting for.
With a disdainful smirk on his face, his voice emerged clear enough for everyone to hear. "Apparently, not just a fool, but also a cowardly green pig. Too spineless to even act on his own."
At that moment, Grok roughly pushed his friend's arm away and was about to lunge when an unexpected voice was heard.
Elara stepped forward. She was right beside Aurelion. Her face was still a bit tense, but her green eyes were narrowed. She turned directly to Aurelion.
"Don't say that, Aurelion," she said clearly. Everyone's eyes, turned to her.
Elara now turned her gaze to Grok and the angry crowd behind him. "Don't compare him to pigs," she said, her voice dripping with contempt. "You're insulting the pigs." A moment of silence fell over the hall. Elara continued, her tone unchanged. "Every animal in nature has a purpose, an honor. Even a pig is useful. But he..." Her gaze returned to Grok, sizing him up from head to toe. "...he just makes noise and takes up space. Utterly useless."
"WHAAAAA?!" Lyra's laughter burst out. Immediately followed by Kael's muffled chuckle.
A few children around them started whispering and giggling. The smirk on Aurelion's face had turned into genuine amusement. This was much better than he had expected.
For Grok, this was the last straw. Now... this small, quiet elf girl he thought was a coward, humiliating him in front of the entire hall, deeming him lower than animals... His rationality completely vanished.
He was filled with pure rage. "YOU LITTLE..." The words caught in his throat, replaced by an growl. His large green body trembling with pure adrenaline. He didn't even hear his friends' cries of "Stop Grok!"
He had a single target. The slender, green eyed elf girl standing before him, the one who had disgraced him. Like a charging bull, Grok lunged forward with all his might.
He knocked over chairs without a care as he passed. His large fist, swung directly towards Elara's face. His intention was clear. To silence her, to crush her, to make her pay.
Lyra's laughter cut off instantly, her eyes widening. Kael's composure vanished in an instant, his muscles tensed, instinctively about to lunge forward. Elara, however, seemed frozen before the enraged orc charging towards her.
Aurelion… Grok targeting Elara was perhaps a momentary miscalculation, but the outcome suited Aurelion. While the orc was furiously focused on Elara, he was completely defenseless against Aurelion.
Time slowed. His golden eyes narrowed, analyzing his opponent's charge, the blind spot created by his rage.
Just as Grok was about to reach her, Aurelion, with a simple but perfectly timed movement, swiftly extended his right foot. A straight, low trip.
Grok, his eyes entirely on Elara, running at that speed, couldn't notice this obstacle beneath his feet.
His forward momentum sent him flying uncontrollably. His body lost its balance, his arms flailed helplessly in the air, and he crashed face first to the ground with a huge thud.
"Argh!" Grok's pained grunt echoed through the hall. The impact was hard. His nose and chin had slammed against the hard floor. But he was still filled with rage. Swearing, taking ragged breaths from his bleeding nose, he tried to push himself up from the ground with both hands, to get to his feet.
His eyes were searching for Elara. But that brief moment as he tried to get up... while his arms hadn't yet found their full strength, his head still slightly bowed... was an invitation served on a silver platter for Aurelion.
That excuse of "self defense" was ready. The opportunity to land that physical blow could not be missed. He took a step and loaded all his strength into his right leg. And without a moment's hesitation, he kicked, with the top of his muddy boot, right into the middle of the rising Grok's face.
"CRACK!"
The sickening sound of bone breaking instantly cut through all the clamor.
Grok's attempt to rise turned into a pained, choked scream. His head snapped back violently from the terrible force of the kick, and he collapsed face first onto the ground again, seemingly losing consciousness.
This time he remained motionless, only blood quickly starting to flow from his broken nose and now completely busted lip. Only faint, wheezing groans came from the body lying on the floor.
All eyes were turned to the motionless orc lying on the ground and the elf standing right beside him. That silence was broken only by Grok's muffled groans.
"CAREGIVERS! OVER HERE! WHAT'S GOING ON OVER THERE?!" A panicked caregiver's voice finally broke the silence.
"GROK! ARE YOU ALRIGHT!" One of Grok's Northerner friends, shaking off his shock, lunged towards their fallen leader.
This was the signal that broke the spell. Grok was suddenly surrounded by worried northerners and adults. A caregiver carefully leaned over Grok's head, trying to stop the bleeding. Another was looking at Aurelion with anger. "What did you do?!" she yelled.
Aurelion calmly took a step back amidst this turmoil. There was still no sign of emotion on his face. The sensation of that final kick was still in his foot. The pressure within him, yes, had definitely eased.
He glanced out of the corner of his eye at his friends cautiously approaching him. "We're leaving," Aurelion whispered.
They had to get away before the questioning began. He quickly turned his back. While the caregivers were completely focused on Grok.
Aurelion and his group began to slip through the crowd. "That kick... It was incredible, Aurelion! How did you do it? I heard the bone crack from here!" Lyra whispered excitedly, trying to keep up with Aurelion. Kael just nodded. "It was effective."
Aurelion's attention wasn't on them. His eyes turned to Elara, who still looked a bit shaken. When they reached a quieter part of the corridor, he stopped. Under the gazes of the others, he approached Elara.
"You," Aurelion said, his voice low. "That humiliation... It was clever. You targeted his pride. Your words reached their target faster than mine." He gave a faint, almost imperceptible nod. "Unexpected. But... not bad, Elara. You found your opponent's weakness and used it. You're learning."
Elara's eyes widened in surprise. Expecting a scolding from Aurelion, or indifference at best, this unexpected, indirect praise caused her cheeks to flush slightly. She didn't know what to say, just bowed her head slightly.
Aurelion quickly moved past this brief moment and turned to the group. "Did you see?" he asked. "Everyone's a bully until they kicked to the face. Whether that hit is a fist, or well chosen words." His gaze swept over them in turn. "From now on," he said clearly, "you act accordingly."
"Now disperse," he ordered. "We've already drawn enough attention to ourselves, let's not draw more. Especially you, Elara." He shot the wood elf a stern look. "Act normal. Don't you dare mess up." Then he added "And remember, this conversation and what happened... stays between us." All three nodded. They had gotten the message, and a kind of adrenaline from the morning's event was still in their veins. They slowly dispersed.
Aurelion also went his own way. His right foot, the one he'd kicked with, throbbed slightly, but he didn't care. That pressure inside him, that gnawing restlessness, had subsided for now. Controlled violence... and unexpected intelligence... Yes, when these two combined, the results were more satisfying.
Linnea would question this, yes. But Aurelion had already prepared his defense. There were witnesses. Grok had attacked Elara. The rest... was just self defense. Or at least, that's how he would present it.
In the muddy ground of the College courtyard was now covered with a different kind of tension. The morning's event had changed the atmosphere among the children. Whispers were more cautious, gazes sharper. Everyone's eyes were on Aurelion, who stood calmly. He was expressionless to the outside world, his mind busy calculating the upcoming interrogation and Harkan's reaction.
Chief Instructor Harkan was in the middle of the courtyard. His eyes first scanned the group in general, then briefly, Aurelion.
His gaze then shifted to the entrance of the building. Just then, Linnea appeared. The two authority figures made eye contact for a brief moment.
Linnea's voice cut through all the murmurs in the courtyard: "Lyra! Kael! Elara!" The three names echoed clearly.
Linnea continued, her finger pointing to the other four Northern children who had been with Grok that morning. "And you four! All of you, come to my office immediately. Now."
The order was indisputable. With surprise and a little fear, they began to move towards Linnea.
Linnea waited for them, then turned one last time and looked at Aurelion, who had been deliberately left alone.
Without saying anything, she turned her back and entered the building, the small group she was about to interrogate trailing behind her.
Aurelion met Linnea's final gaze. His expression didn't change. This was expected. First the pawns would be questioned, then it would be the king's turn. He reviewed his possible defenses in his mind.
"AURELION!" Harkan's booming voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Chief Instructor walked heavily right in front of him.
"So you've started wandering around kicking other childrens? Well done to you." His eyes were narrowed dangerously. "I'll be showing you some very special attention today," Harkan continued. "Sometimes, your own body understands the consequences of your actions best."
While the other children whispered among themselves, Harkan pointed at Aurelion. "You, with me! Alone!" He dragged Aurelion towards the muddiest, stickiest part of the courtyard. "On your knees! And start crawling! To that wall over there! No stopping!"
This was pure punishment. Humiliating. All of Aurelion's muscles involuntarily tensed as the ice cold, sticky mud seeped into his skin. But he didn't hesitate. He got on his knees as ordered and, grimacing, began to move through the mud.
Harkan didn't leave him for a moment. His steps were right behind him. "Faster, elf! Let's see if those limbs of yours will get you out of the mud now? Or are your arms too tired? Are you giving up?!"
Aurelion gritted his teeth. He crawled, taking care not to get mud in his mouth and nose. His bandaged hand throbbed painfully every time it sank into the mud, but he wouldn't give Harkan the reaction he wanted.
"I will not break," he repeated inwardly. "No weakness allowed." When he finally reached the opposite wall, he tried to stand up in the mud.
The moment he straightened up, Harkan's new order came "Now push ups! I won't count! Until I say stop!"
Aurelion dropped to the ground again.His first few push ups were relatively clean, but soon his arms began to protest. His bandaged right arm, especially, tired more quickly. His body began to tremble. With each descent, it became harder to push back up.
"Are you giving up, pointy ears?! Why are your arms trembling? Why are you out of breath?Keep doing the damn push ups!"
Aurelion growled. His arms were burning. When he tried to push up after going down, his muscles felt locked, his body refusing to move.
"Move!" his mind screamed at his body. "Move! I didn't order you to stop!" He tried to push himself up with all his will, but he didn't budge an inch. On the contrary, as his strength waned, he involuntarily began to sink towards the ground.
At that moment, just on the verge of giving up, despair knotting his throat, the momentary, tingle he had felt in his bed the previous night came to his mind. His body exhausted, barely holding a push up position, he closed his eyes.
He focused all his attention on the place where that sensation had come from, that point beneath his ribs. "There's something there... I know it... I felt it..." Perhaps it wasn't about forcing, but just wanting.
"Power..." his mind whispered. "Give me the strength to endure... Just to continue..."
With all his will, he tried to feel that tingle again, to summon it. And then, there it was again. More distinct than before, a tingling sensation starting from below his ribs, slowly spreading like a warm current to his chest, and from there to his arms.
This time it wasn't just a feeling. It was as if something different was flowing through his veins. As this sensation spread, the pain in his exhausted muscles intensified, becoming sharp like knives, but at the same time, an indescribable strange vitality, a wave of energy, also spread through his body. It was as if an extinguished fire had been rekindled.
He focused all his attention on this new sensation, gritting his teeth despite the pain. And he pushed himself up again. His arms were still trembling, still aching, but now... he could move. One more. Then another.
Each repetition was harder than the last, but no longer impossible. His body was exceeding its limits with this raw support from within.
His breathing quickened, and intense sweat poured from his forehead and back. The warm sweat meeting the cold air caused a faint layer of steam to rise from his body. As if he were burning from the inside.
Eyes closed, all his focus was on maintaining that sensation that brought both pain and vitality, directing it to his arms.
When Harkan noticed Aurelion starting to do push ups again after pausing, his movements forced but continuous, and most importantly, that faint steam rising from the child's body, his brows instantly furrowed.
The child was exhausted, he was sure of it. But now he was continuing. And that faint energy he felt from the child... was it what he thought?.
He didn't show his surprise. "Come on, elf! Don't dally!" he shouted, but for the first time, there was a slight hesitation in his voice.
He continued the training in the harshest way. Aurelion, eyes closed, clinging to that inner sensation, carried out every command. Finally, when the sun reached its peak and lunchtime arrived, Harkan suddenly shouted, "Enough!".
The moment Aurelion stopped moving, the forced flow of energy within him also ceased, and overwhelming fatigue returned with full force. He almost collapsed to his knees where he stood but forced himself to stay upright. He was trembling, covered in mud, his breathing ragged. When he lifted his head, though his golden eyes were clouded with fatigue, he looked at Harkan. His mind was still filled with that tingling sensation. He had felt it. He had really felt it!
Harkan looked at him long and hard. This child hadn't broken, yes. He had physically pushed his limits, but he had achieved it with something beyond his will.
He grunted. "Get out of here."
Aurelion barely heard Harkan's last words. It was a bit surprising that the Chief Instructor simply dismissed him but he didn't care. The only thing he was thinking about right now was that sensation.
The tingle... under my ribs... then my arms... How did it happen? Can I do it again? He turned his back. He began to walk towards the building with heavy, trembling steps.
Energy... inside me... I directed it! This thought, despite his exhaustion, brought a faint smile to his face.
First, he had to clean himself, then force himself to eat, even if it was difficult. Changing his clothes, washing himself with cold water, being careful with his bandaged hand...
Every movement caused sharp pains in his muscles, his body protested.
When he reached the refectory, he took his tray and threw himself into an empty corner.
His hand trembled uncontrollably as he brought the spoon to his mouth. His eyes stared into space, thinking about that energy inside him.
He was about halfway through his meal when he was jolted from his thoughts by the low voice of an attendant approaching him.
"Aurelion," the attendant said "Mistress Linnea is waiting for you in her office."
Aurelion blinked. Linnea. Time for the reckoning. He slowly closed his eyes. Here it began.
He took a deep breath. He tried to push his fatigue, the pain engulfing every fiber of his being.
He put on that expressionless mask again. He merely nodded to the attendant. Getting up from his seat was a real struggle but he managed.
With heavy, almost dragging steps, he walked towards Linnea's office, towards the inevitable confrontation.